It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn
by thisaintalovesongthisisgoodbye
Summary: Santana has a secret, and she's lucky to have someone that understands to entrust it with... she finds out where her loyalties really lie when she realizes the truth will always come out. Klaine and Brittana, Kurtana friendship. Originally published on my old account but I like to think this one's better!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I published this on my old account, but I don't used that for posting stories on anymore, so now it's here! This version has a whole load of editing done, so it's longer (and hopefully better!)**

**Let me know in a review!**

Santana Lopez was in love with Brittany Pierce.

It hit her in the middle of Glee rehearsal, during free period on Tuesday. Mr Schuester's oh-so-original assignment had been to sing a song to 'express yourself', and it was a surprise to no-one when Rachel took to the floor and sang yet another ballad to an oblivious Finn, who sat wonderstruck in the center of the choir room.

_Could you make it on your own? _

_See if I could, then I would, _

_I'll go, wherever you will go_

Rachel sang it okay, Santana grudgingly gave her that. But it was the song seemed to hit a nerve, the lyrics unsettling Santana, stirring something inside her. A wave of nausea hit her, and she squirmed in her seat, fiddling with her Cheerio's skirt uncomfortably. Was the room swimming? Or maybe it was just her…

And then Santana felt a head rest on her shoulder, and turned to see Brittany there, watching the performance with an intense look burning in her eyes. Relaxing, she intertwined the girl's fingers with her own instinctively and watched the rest of the song in an uncharacteristically thoughtful silence, reluctantly releasing Brittany's hand as it came to an end, clapping along politely with the rest of the group. And as Mr Schuester took to the floor again, most likely praising Rachel or some other crap – who actually cared- Brittany's piercing blue eyes locked with Santana's own, and while no words were exchanged between the two, she could have sworn she felt something.

Not that kind of something where you twist your ankle during cheerleading practice, or pinch your toes wearing million inch stilettos to whichever jock's excuse of a party but the kind of something inside of you. Like the kind of buzz she'd gotten when the Cheerios won their 6th consecutive national championship, or standing on the stage after singing her solo in New York last year. She didn't know what it was, which scared her, but amongst the fear, her eyes still searching Brittany's she felt that a piece of her was content.

Then again, she was never really _not_ content when she was with Brittany… it was almost impossible not to be happy when she was with her. She was…

She was in love with Brittany.

Sweet holy crap. She was in love with Brittany. Not in the way best friends should like each other, but in the way Brad loved Angelina, or Kate loved William. Something much deeper than any of that.

Crap. _Crap. _But she was straight! Her pin-ups were Taylor Launter and Zac Efron for god's sake; she was a perfect 1 on the Kinsey Scale!

She didn't love Brittany in that way, did she? She couldn't.

Come on, they both had boyfriends. Well, Britt was going strong with Wheels, and Santana had Puck… even if they weren't exactly dating, per say, more like hook-ups whenever things got boring. Maybe if she called him later, scored some beer and got her mack on… surely that should straighten her out, clear her head of the whole Brittany situation.

It was no secret she'd made out with Brittany on more than one occasion before, and enjoyed it…but it was friends with benefits, nothing more. No strings attached. Why did this song make it so complicated? It was easier with no feelings. Getting all emotional was totally overrated.

Santana sat awkwardly in her cheap plastic chair, willing for glee club to end already, so she could have something else to focus on, or at least escape Brittany, who was not helping Santana's muddled brain at all, by tilting her head side to side, meaning her ponytail would occasionally brush against Santana's cheek.

The clock hands were taunting her, dancing from number to number at what felt like a million times slower than normal. 15 minutes left. She could do this.

"Mr Schuester? Seeing as my previous solo was met with such enthusiasm, I think that it would be a strong contender for our ballad at sectionals, with possibly Quinn and Tina singing back-up. Of course, because I'm all for the team, I understand Mercedes might want to wail the last jaw dropping note, which I suppose I'd be willing to sacrifice for in return a solo in our group number, and I think that Train's 'Drops of Jupiter' will showcase my- I mean our- talents perfectly, if I could run by some vocals with you all please-"

Mr Schuester nodded wearily. "Sure, Rachel…" he trailed off, unenthusiastically.

Holy hell. Who was she kidding. Longest glee club meeting ever, she thought, discretely gazing at Brittany through her long eyelashes.

She knew Brittany was pretty, and she knew the other girl felt the same vice versa. Just like any other high school girls on Facebook, they'd always comment on various profile pictures, saying 'Gorgeous sweetie,' or 'Wow, my best friend is stunning!' Looking at her again now, Santana began to appreciate that yeah, Brittany was gorgeous, and her best friend was stunning.

In the space of one Glee club meeting, all this had happened. She'd started to fall for Brittany.

And she was honestly scared shitless.

"Santana!"

She didn't realize what was happening until she was almost align with Brad, perched by the piano as usual.

"Santana, you may not agree what with Rachel has to say but it's incredibly rude to just walk out of her like that!" Mr Schuester weakly protested.

She nearly snorted. Rachel freaking Berry was the least of her problems.

"I thought I mentioned earlier," she lied smoothly, looking her choir teacher straight in the eyes. "I have to sign out, my mom's picking me up for my annual flu jab," Thank goodness it was the right time of year for that. She held her breath, hoping he'd fall for it, and thank goodness the stupid fool did.

"Sorry, I must have forgotten," he frowned. "If we decide anything to do with set lists or choreography I'm sure you'll catch up just fine tomorrow,"

As soon as the words left his lips, she'd disappeared from the choir room, and ventured the twists and turns of the McKinley hallway, straight to her car in the parking lot. She couldn't slam her foot on the pedal hard enough, and began the short journey home, trying not to break speed limits.

Letting herself in the house, she almost flew up the stairs, and confined herself to the comforts of her bedroom, letting sleep consume her and putting her mind at rest. Maybe she'd wake up in the Red Rooster Inn, Lima's tiny motel, and find herself in the room that practically had her and Puck's name on it. This gay thing would be some drunken hallucination that she would laugh at with Puck when he took her for a burger after.

As if McKinley High's top bitch was a closet lesbian, she thought, exhausted.

* * *

She woke up bleary eyed at 2:45, and decided to get away from the house before her mother arrived back from work at 3 and found out she'd been skipping school. Her father was a doctor, and had drilled Santana that education would come first and foremost in the Lopez household, if she wanted to do well in life, and she had a feeling skiving would not go down well.

She hopped in her car and pondered where to go. Brittany's was out the question, so Quinn's maybe? She decided against that eventually, after remembering Quinn had mentioned that she was babysitting Beth that night. Mercedes and Rachel? She couldn't go more than five seconds without wanting to strangle one of the two. Tina? Where the hell did she even live? That was all her girls gone, apart from Kurt, whom she counted as one of them after he'd showed up to prom in a skirt. She was about to dismiss him too, until thinking it through. As much as she hated confessing her feelings, talking to an openly gay kid about _those_ kind of feelings was probably a sensible idea. Plus, she knew he could keep a secret, after what went down with Karofsky last year. Hesitantly she started up the engine and began driving to his house, or the approximate whereabouts- she was sure she'd recognize it once she saw it.

After noticing both Kurt's prized navigator and Finn's muddy truck, she decided this was most likely the right one. The Hudmels lived in a sea of suburbia, and identifying their house had proved harder than she'd planned. She locked the car and walked up the driveway, noting how different it was here from Lima Heights. She paused at the door, shaking her head at her own nervousness. She was Santana Lopez, for frack's sake, this was nothing. She rang the doorbell, and then waited for a few seconds, until she heard someone fumbling around in the porch. The polished black door swung open, to reveal Finn Hudson, grinning goofily. Some people were never going to change.

"Santana?" he asked incredulously. The both stood awkwardly until she coughed. "As amusing as it is to watch you fail to subtly check me out, is it okay if I come in? As lovely as your porch is, I didn't drive all the way over here just to admire it…" She smiled flirtishly as she spoke, but it no longer felt natural, so she gave up. "I actually came over to see Kurt. Private fashion questions for homecoming," She added quickly.

"Cool." Finn answered blankly. "Kurt's in his room," he smiled, tripping over his own feet in an attempt to let Santana pass by through the hallway. She rolled her eyes at the Frankenteen's typical behavior. She didn't respond, because trying to keep up a conversation with Finn, however well he meant, was like talking to a sack of potatoes. They both climbed up in the stairs in silence, until Finn pointed at a single door smothered by a poster of Lady Gaga looking as sane as ever. "That's Kurt's room."

She bit her tongue, about to say 'No shit, Sherlock,' but instead settled for an uncharacteristically friendly "Thanks, Hudson."

"It's cool," he nodded happily. "See you in glee," he said, before disappearing into his room.

Santana turned to face Mother Monster, who was staring at her from Kurt's door. She wasn't sure whether to feel relaxed or even more nervous, but here he was; someone who would understand.

_Knock, knock, knock. _She rapped on his door three times and waited in silence before a split second passed and there stood Kurt Hummel.

"Kurt," she greeted him standing awkwardly at his door. Her eyes were burning with something the boy hadn't seen before.

"Santana?" he looked shell-shocked for a second before breaking into a genuine smile. "How are you doing? Flu jabs are kind of a bitch, and they can do horrible things to the skin" he shuddered, a frown setting in on his face.

"My arm's fine," She answered, having to smile slightly at his greeting. "But thank you for the concern. Actually, I just wondered if you could help me with something… I know it's something you've been through and I was wondering if you could help me with it. You're the only person I know who would… get this." Santana looked down, her hands shaking gently. Kurt nodded seriously, taking her hand and leading her to his bed, where they both sat still, until Kurt broke the silence.

"Just tell me when you're ready," he murmured reassuringly. Santana nodded jerkily and inhaled deeply.

"Right. I- I don't know if this is going to come as much of a shock or not," she began slowly, the nerves clear in her voice.

He nodded his head, slightly confused, indicating for her to go ahead. "Hey, I'm listening," Kurt reassured her, smiling encouragingly.

"You're with Blaine, right?" She asked, not waiting for an answer, knowing it full well. "And you guys are in love?"

Kurt nodded, looking unsure of where their conversation was headed but confident in his answer. "Yes."

"How did you know that what you were feeling wasn't just friendship? How did you know you wanted to actually be with him?"

"I always looked up to him- metaphorically of course, we all know I'm a good couple of inches taller than him," he winked "At first I thought it was because he helped me so much- I mean, you have no idea, he literally saved me- but when I cleared everything up at Dalton, that's when I realized I liked him as someone more than my friend or mentor. But how I knew I loved him…" He paused, seriously considering. "We went for coffee, soon after we got back from New York last year, and he said he loved me. And when he said that… I could picture us having a future together, something that lasted more than high school, and it was like our relationship was something serious… obviously I don't want marriage and all that at eighteen, but… Maybe one day. If it was with anyone it'd be him."

"Thank you," she whispered so quietly she could barely hear herself. Santana cleared her throat and sat up slightly straighter. "Kurt, when I- I ran out of glee it wasn't because I had some flu jab. When Rachel sang that song, it got me thinking that I'm in love with Br- with _someone_. And I'm scared to admit it to myself because, we're so as close as hell, and this is going to kill our friendship and- oh my god Kurt, it's Brittany, I'm in love with Brittany- I'm _gay_," Kurt could barely distinguish the words by the end of her mini-speech and there were a few seconds of silence while he processed this. She mistook his silence and began gushing hysterically- "Don't judge me, after all those gay jokes I made about you and Blaine, and you must think I'm s-such a hypocrite, I'm so sorry, Kurt, I just thought that you could give me some advice, I'll just- I'll just leave and-"

"Whoah, Santana," he smiled tentatively. "Do you think that I, of all people, would judge you? Trust me, I've dealt with all this before," he assured her in a soothing tone. "Shh, don't worry, I'm here, calm down,"

She cautiously looked up at him, eyes glassy but with a small glimmer of hope. Kurt carried on, unfazed. "I really wish I could tell you this was easy," he said with a sad smile, "but there will always be homophobes, guys who will do a whole lot worse than what Karofsky did to me. The world is mean like that. But whatever happens, I'm here for you. Blaine's here for you- trust me, Santana, out of anyone, we understand it, okay? And don't forget the New Directions- everyone's gone through something at some point- the love triangles, the teen pregnancies, the, uh- bullying-" he winced slightly, but continued. "But when it came down to it, we were always there for each other- we still are, always will be. And don't think that this decision is going to change what at least the Glee Club will think of you- I think you're stuck with us all." Taking a final breath he added warily; "I never had someone to help me when I realised who I was, Santana, and there were so many times I felt like I should just- _give up_, and- and put an end to it," he choked, his eyes bright. "Um, anyway, I didn't but, no-one should have to feel like that. Not you, not anyone, and, I promise I'll help you with all this and make sure you never get as low as that," he concluded, a faint smile tugging his cheeks.

Guilt rushed through Santana as she murmured "Kurt, I'm so, _so_ sorry," and engulfed him in a weak hug. Their eyes met, and it was then Santana knew she wasn't alone in this struggle. "You know what, Lady Trousers?" she half teased, wiping the tears away from her cheeks and laughing shakily. "I have a feeling that this could be the start of a beautiful friendship,"

He hugged her back hard, a matching smile on his face. "I promise you it'll get better," Kurt told her quietly. "It did for me and it will for you too."

She nodded into his shoulder, not sure what to make of this display of affection- she didn't do hugs and embraces, she did make out sessions in janitors closets at the most innocent. But she couldn't help but let herself be held for just this once, and let herself be comforted before she tried to come to terms with anything.

One step at a time.

* * *

_We're just ordinary people  
We don't know which way to go  
Cause we're ordinary people  
Baby we should take it slow  
Take it slow, oh  
This time we'll take it slow  
Take it slow, oh  
This time we'll take it slow_

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Fancy beta-ing because it's currently 02:21 am and I can't be bothered to read it through?**

**Let me know in a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

It had been 3 days since Santana had confessed to Kurt, and she couldn't help but notice the invisible weight that felt like it had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt as if she was finally being honest about who she was, and couldn't remember feeling this good about herself in a while. No, she hadn't done anything about her feelings yet, but hell, she was still getting her head round this herself , and she thought that she'd made progress in the past 36 hours.

This was mostly due to Kurt of course. The day after their talk at his house, she had acted distant, avoiding eye contact and giving him simply sharp nods whenever he asked how was she, but when he had asked her why (taking care to be as inconspicuous as possible, knowing how much her reputation meant to her) she had confessed that she was embarrassed about how to act now. He simply rolled his eyes at her and told her to not be stupid and act as normal. Over the next days, he became a sort of Agony Aunt to Santana, to the extent of his phone number in her contacts being renamed 'Auntie Kurt', which he had to laugh at. They would chat quietly in glee club, whenever they could spare time from Blaine or Brittany, of course, and she had texted or invited when she began panicking again, or had a question for him.

Over this short time, she began to realise how similar the two of them were, something she would only admit reluctantly. They both had the same smart sense of humour, and had witty insults or comebacks at the tips of their tongues.

Three years ago, before glee club had started, before she actually realised that the gay kid with more hair care products than anyone else she knew had a name, she would have scoffed at the fact that the two of them were even slightly alike. They were polar opposites; on the McKinley food chain, she would have been on top, even as a freshman (the wonders of a Cheerios uniform) laughing as the jocks slushied him.

Now she realised that she was kind of friends with Kurt Hummel. Weird.

Maybe if he re-joined the Cheerios they could actually talk in public.

* * *

Glee club that day was noisy, to say the least, and more so than usual. Santana was surprised that she hadn't been deafened by Rachel screeching about being unappreciated, whilst the rest of the group tried to finalise their set list for sectionals.

The letter had come through, declaring that the theme for sectionals would be musicals. Rachel and Kurt's eyes both lit up at this, however before either of them could say anything, Mr Schuester sternly told them both the set list and featured soloists had been chosen by him the night before.

"Moulin Rouge," he told them eagerly. "Both modern, yet a classic. Now I know some of the guys may not know what it's about, but I can guarantee you'll know some of the songs, okay?" He had decided on a solo, a duet and a group number. It was no surprise when the duet, 'Come What May' was awarded to Finn and Rachel, and the group number would be 'Rhythm of the Night', with lead vocals from Mercedes, who was a little shocked but obviously pleased nonetheless. Finn paled slightly when Mr Schuester added that the number would be heavy on dancing, with complex choreography from Brittany and Mike.

Santana turned to look at Brittany as he said this, and noticed her friend's face lighting up as he said this. She felt a warm feeling in her stomach as she saw her genuine smile, and glittering eyes. It was sweet, she decided, that was a safe word. Momentarily distracted, she almost missed Mr Schuester's next words.

"And the solo will be a mash up, of 'Your Song' and 'One Day I'll Fly Away', that Brad and myself are putting the finishing touches on, and will go to Santana," he concluded, smiling at her shocked face. "No objections, Rachel."

Brittany almost attacked Santana, squealing. "Go you! With your singing and my dancing, we are _so _going to win!" she gushed excitedly. Santana could do nothing but smile and nod, linking their pinkies together. "I've never actually seen it… we do have it somewhere but I didn't want my DVD player to eat it, Ewan McGregor looked too hot…"

"Yeah, totally," she laughed. _But so did Nicole Kidman…_"Hey, why don't you come over this weekend to watch it? We could get the rest of the girls to come, and Kurt, like research for sectionals?"

"Sure!" If Brittany grinned any wider, her face might just about split. Her smile was infectious though, and Santana felt herself laughing, as she replied "Saturday night then? Be at mine at around 6, we can order in a pizza."

"Awesome!" Brittany nodded happily. As Mr Schuester dismissed the club, she enveloped Santana in a tight hug, Santana holding on slightly longer than she should have done. She sighed, a mixture of happiness and longing, before letting go, noticing Artie was waiting for Brittany by the door.

"I'll see you around," she smiled, an unreadable expression dancing in her eyes before she walked out the room.

* * *

_From: Kurt _

_Congrats on you solo at sectionals! Jealous of course but I'm sure you'll sound fabulous as ever!_

_To: Kurt _

_Thankyou, speaking of it Britt hasn't seen Moulin Rouge so she's coming round Saturday to watch it and will invite others to. You in? _

_From: Kurt _

_As if I'd pass up the chance to watch Moulin Rouge, of course :) _

_To: Kurt_

_Cool, is it okay if I come round later? I can give you details then _

_From: Kurt_

_Sure, but Blaine's coming over at 8ish, you're welcome to stay for Friday night dinner though :)_

_To: Kurt_

_If that's okay, I'll let mom know and will drive over after :)_

_From: Kurt_

_See you then!_

* * *

"Mom!" she called to the general direction of her mother's study. "I'm going to Kurt's for dinner, be back by eight!"

"Whatever, leave your cell on, have a good time!" Her mother's tone was, unsurprisingly, blasé and unconcerned of her daughter's whereabouts. No change there. She called out a farewell (no response, of course) and left for Kurt's house for the third time since Tuesday, rivalling the amount of time she spent at the Pierce household. Not that she'd been there this week.

She tried to push the blonde out of her head, which was easier said than done- especially after watching her doing kicks and flips in Cheerleading practice…

* * *

Friday night dinner round the Hudmels was certainly different from that at the Lopez's. They would normally order a takeaway, taking it in turns to choose where fro, and watch whatever came on TV, normally, at Santana's father's insistence, 'Fringe,' where Santana and her mother would be forced to sit through what felt like a decade of crappy science fiction, until it finished. Then their 'bonding time' would be considered over, and each would retire to their own room, where Santana would normally Skype Brittany for an hour or two.

This Friday, however, as she knocked at the already familiar black door, she was welcomed in by Kurt, where she helped himself and Carole cook a healthy dinner, both of them ignoring Burt and Finn's weak complaints about the offers down at Taco Bell, warning Burt it was bad for his health. Santana and Kurt gossiped about the latest McKinley gossip, Carole occasionally chipping in, whilst preparing a salad of some sorts, and she couldn't help but envy Kurt's family a little, admiring how close they were.

Instead of eating on trays in front of the TV, they laid the table neatly and spent a fair almost two hours round it, even after they had finished eating. Santana didn't feel left out at all- apart from when Burt and Finn started going on about football season starting, but was thankfully saved by Kurt, who told Carole and Burt about her solo at sectionals. Finn added that Rachel was 'super pissed off, like a hot girl version of the incredible hulk mixed with a hobbit', and was driving him crazy with their duet, which nobody was surprised to hear. When all the dessert had been cleared, mostly by Finn, and, with some glares from his wife and son, Burt, Santana found herself genuinely disappointed that it was five to eight, and unless she wanted to witness a fully blown make out session between Kurt and his pretty pony, she decided it was probably a good time to make a move. The boys grunted their goodbyes, Carole kissed her on the cheek and said she was welcome any time, and Kurt saw her to the door, telling her to text if she needed anything and he'd see her tomorrow.

On the drive back home, she couldn't help but think how it was strange than she felt she could be herself and accepted at Kurt's household than she was at her own.

* * *

Santana had had one of the worst night's sleep she could remember. There were definitely nightmares- she tried to recall what about, but failed- and had ended up tossing fitfully in her sleeping state-if you could call it that- and the result was that she was absolutely exhausted. Dark bags were already circling her eyes, but thank the lord she had concealer for that. She had to force herself out of bed, stumbling around the room and attempting to pull the curtains open. Almost blinded by the dazzling sunlight, she fell back on her bed, a cross between a groan and a yawn escaping her lips. She could tell that today was going to be one of those days.

She tried to pick an outfit, starting with her Cheerios uniform until she realised it was a Saturday, and even Coach Sylvester had her limits. Eventually, kitted in black skinny jeans and an oversized sweater, she clambered downstairs, the beginnings of a pounding headache forming. Fan-freaking-tastic. At least she had the house to herself all weekend- after breakfast her parents were leaving for some meeting in Columbus. And she was seeing Brittany tonight- that cheered her up slightly. Well, a lot.

Santana walked in the kitchen, greeted by both her parents and their suitcases. She sat down at the table, taking a swig of orange juice.

"So, how was dinner at Kirk's last night?" her mom asked. It was ridiculous how much effort she had to put in just to keep up a simple conversation with her own daughter. "Is he anyone special?"

Kurt," she corrected tiredly. "And yeah, but not like _that_. He has a boyfriend."

As soon as the words left her lips, she knew that she'd made a mistake. In her sleepy state she'd kind of forgotten that Lima Heights was the capital of homophobia. Whoops.

"So this _Kurt _that you've been hanging out with," her mom said, lips pursed, face slightly red, and a disapproving scowl on her face. "He's a fag?"

She couldn't help but wince at both the harsh tone and her mother's choice of language. "No, mom," she snapped back. "He's gay, but he's not a fag, or whatever else you want to call him, thanks."

"I don't like it." Her dad looked her in the eye. "It's not right, and I don't want you catching whatever disease he has."

"Dad," she pleaded. "He's great, honestly, and he's been helping me out with some… stuff. I'm sure you'd like him."

"What could someone like him be helping you with?" her dad practically spat. _Someone like him? Ignorant, prejudiced, homophobic asshole-_

"Math tutor," she settled for. "Figgins assigned him as a tutor because I'm struggling slightly in algebra."

"Well we'll see about him assigning someone else," her father said determinedly. Then, upon a second of reflection; "Why do you need a tutor anyway? At the parent-teacher conference we were told you were top of class."

"Nothing's distracting you, is it sweetie?" her mom asked. Rolling her eyes at the patronizing pet name, Santana tried to think of a good cover, but nothing sprung to mind. She was going to have to go along with her parents.

"Yeah, just someone in my class… Bri-Bradley. We're seeing each other, actually." Oh god. She couldn't help but shudder at the blatant lie. At least she hadn't said Brittany by mistake.

Her parents looked at each other, exchanging curious glances.

"Very well," her father said. "But save your relationship for outside the classroom. Grades up and we can get rid of this queer tutor of yours."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with being gay!" she finally exploded, fuming, the anger clear on her pursed lips.

"Watch your tone, missy," her mom quickly cut in. if anyone questioned where Santana got her bitchy glares from, it was definitely her mother, who had it down to perfection- if looks could kill… "You father knows what he's on about here. I don't like the way you're talking." Santana and her mom stared each other down, until Santana felt a sting on her cheek, a clapping noise, and realised she'd had slapped her.

Her dad cleared his throat, breaking the undeniable tension. "Why don't you invite this Bradley round on Monday? I'd like to meet him."

_Oh crap. _"Yeah, I'm sure he'd love that!" she replied with fake enthusiasm. "I'll text him later."

"Well, we'd best be off," her mother said breezily, her dad nodding in agreement. "We need to check in by 12."

They all walked to the door, where she waved her parents off with a kiss on the cheek each. As they drove off, she closed the door behind her and flopped onto the sofa.

She had a funny relationship with her parents- she loved them, and they loved her, but they all had funny ways of showing it- it was just part of their culture, and how she'd been raised- her mom's relationship with her grandma was similar, and although to her friends it seemed weird, to her it was just normal. Not to say that this was the mother-daughter relationship that Santana actually wanted…

She sighed. It was probably wise to go get some ice for her cheek, she decided, and some foundation to use as cover-up, in case one of the girls or Kurt noticed anything later. After a few minutes in the bathroom the skin looked as good as new, she thought, smiling in the mirror satisfied. Perfect.

She returned to her position on the sofa, her Sex and the City box set playing in the background as she mused over just a few more of her problems. What would she do when the moment arose that she came out to her parents? Surely she couldn't hide forever… Where was she going to find a Bradley to date? Or to at least pretend for her?

"_You shouldn't have to sacrifice who you are just because somebody else has a problem with it."_ Carrie Bradshaw stated from her TV.

_Oh, if only, _Santana thought lustfully.

**A/N: Kind of changed this (a lot) from the second chapted of the original. It will build up to something similar ;p let me know any mistakes, I have this thing for writing insanely early in the morning...**

**Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

"_The Moulin Rouge. A nightclub; a dance hall and a bordello, ruled over by Harold Zidler." _Christian's voice rang out of Santana's DVD player, placed at the end of the numerous blow-up beds that had taken over her living room. Out of all the girls, Brittany, Sugar and Quinn had yet to see the film. Santana, Tina and Mercedes had all seen it before, and Rachel and Kurt were nudging each other and quoting it religiously. Sugar silently handed a bowl of popcorn to Brittany and Santana, not once taking her eyes off the screen.

"_I knew nothing of the Moulin Rouge, Harold Zidler or Satine. The world had been swept up in a Bohemian revolution, and I had-"_

"You having any?" Brittany asked quietly, gesturing to the popcorn. Her hand brushed Santana's as she did so, causing the other girl to smile distractedly for a millisecond before she answered.

"Well, Coach Sylvester isn't in a 15 mile radius, so I think I'm safe," she whispered back, causing Brittany to giggle. As Brittany twisted back round, to turn her attention back to the screen, her knee jerked slightly. The movement impacted the bowl of popcorn, and to the girls' amusement, caused it to go flying, pieces landing all over Quinn and Sugar, who were unfortunately sitting in front of them. Quinn squealed, before they exchanged glances, and the four of them burst out laughing. Brittany had an infectious laugh, and Santana found her subtle giggle turn into a full-blown cackle, and like the others, was unable to stop.

"Why's everyone staring?" Brittany asked, mid fit of laughter. Santana realised the film had been paused, and the girls and Kurt were giving them all strange looks.

Between pursed lips, Rachel Berry ranted, a teacher like glare upon her face; "Whatever on earth is going on over there, I would appreciate if you stopped so we can take in this iconic film!"

"And Ewan McGregor's ass-" Mercedes chipped in helpfully, causing the rest of the group to laugh, even (reluctantly) Rachel.

Brittany and Santana, still smiling deviously, murmured their apologies to Quinn and Sugar, decided to forget the popcorn, and waited for Rachel to play the film again.

"_I am the Green Fairy…" _

"Wait, isn't that Kylie Minogue? Is Moulin Rouge about fairies?" Brittany was looking at Santana with her confused face, her eyes looking slightly glazed.

"No," Santana whispered back. She'd forgotten how fast the beginning moved, and began explaining to Brittany. "You see Ewan McGregor? He plays Christian, a playwright who's just moved to Paris, it's all part of the Bohemian Revolution, and he's just been hooked into co-writing a play for the Moulin Rouge, and…"

Santana always had a patient side when it came to Brittany. If anyone else had lost themselves in the first five minutes of Moulin Rouge, she would have made some snarky comment about them being as dumb as crap, but she had come to the conclusion that Brittany was the exception to certain rules. Not many people saw this side of her; she knew she was inclined to be gentler with Brittany, it just came as second nature- she let her walls down just a little bit. The only person to have really seen her like that was Kurt, she realised, as she caught Brittany up with what was going on with her simplified retelling.

"Thanks," she whispered back, and snuggled into Santana's side slightly. Santana smiled, and as she relaxed into Brittany, she caught Kurt winking at her from across the room. She rolled her eyes back, but they both knew she was joking, before they continued to watch the film.

* * *

_One day I'll fly away_

_Leave all this to yesterday _

_What more could your love do for me?_

_When will love be..._

_...through with me?_

_Why live life..._

_...from dream to dream?_

_And dread the day..._

_...when dreaming..._

_...ends_

"So this is the one you'll be singing?" Brittany asked, recognizing the name of the song, he voice muffled slightly by Santana's shoulder.

"Yeah," she replied under her breath. "This one and 'Your Song'."

"You'll totally sing it better than Rachel- sorry," she apologised, even though Rachel was too far away to hear, and too engrossed in the film even if she were in earshot. "I think you have the best voice out of them all."

"Thank you," Santana said softly, blushing slightly at the compliment. She was thankful the lights were off- normally she would be the one making people blush, with a list of innuendos she may or may not keep in a diary. She swore she was acting more out of character in the past four days than she had in the rest of her life. Creepy.

* * *

"_The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is to love, and be loved in return."_ There was a silence as the film ended, with the occasional sniffle from various areas of the room. Though she'd seen it before, Santana had to wipe a stray tear from her cheek, before jumping up to turn the lights on, revealing Kurt exasperated yet unsurprised as he tried to console a sobbing Rachel and mostly everyone else slightly teary eyed or laughing at her.

"Well, that was sad," Brittany stated, as Santana joined her on the sofa.

"You enjoyed it though?" Santana said knowingly, telling she'd liked it by the glint in her best friend's eye.

"Yeah!" Brittany nodded animatedly. "I can't wait to get started on Sectionals!"

She had to smile at the other girl's enthusiasm- not the Mr Schuester or Rachel Berry kind of enthusiasm, where they were worked to the bone until everything was pitch perfect, but genuine excitement. It wasn't annoying, but endearing, actually.

The two of them gossiped on, as the rest of the group also branched off into their own conversations.

When the hotness of every male member of the cast of Moulin Rouge had been rated by everybody, the room eventually fell into an awkward silence, no-one knowing what to say next.

The sound of Kurt's phone beeping broke the peace, as he reluctantly climbed out of her sleeping bag and grabbed it from the side. "iPhones and their stupid updates drive me insane," he apologized, tapping the screen furiously. "I swear, if it tells me that there's a newer version of Truth or Dare one more time, I will cut a bitch-"

"Wait," Tina interrupted, the rest of the girls exchanging sly looks. "Truth or Dare?"

"Yeah," he said. "Why?"

"I haven't played this since I was about 13," Santana remarked, "But I'm sure we can make it interesting?"

Kurt passed around his phone, each of the girls entering their names into the app before they began. The phone was then placed in the centre of their slightly lopsided circle, and the game commenced.

"Sugar?"

"Truth."

"Rate five boys that everyone knows on a scale of 1-10."

"Okay… Puck, 9.8, Mike, 9, Sam, 8.9, Finn, 8-" Kurt cleared his throat dramatically. "- Kurt, 11."

"Brittany?"

"Truth."

"If the player to your left asked you out, what would you say?"

Ah shit. Guess who that was? Santana mentally cursed herself for not sitting to Brittany's right. "If I weren't with Artie I'd go for it," Brittany shrugged nonchalantly.

Santana stopped, dead still. Wait, _what_?

"Santana?"

"Dare," she said in the most normal voice she could manage, amazed it hadn't come out as a squeak. So all she had to do was get Britt to dump Artie? It was that easy? No way.

"Eat a piece of food off a player of your choice's tongue," Mercedes read aloud, before everyone started snickering at her. Perhaps truth would have been nicer, if somewhat less boring. She shook her head. Normally this was the kind of dare she would do without a second thought, laughing along with everyone else after. Why should this be any different?

"Britt?" She asked, sounding more confident than she felt. Kurt sent her a discreet glance. _Best idea?_ He mouthed. She ignored him.

Brittany grabbed some leftover popcorn, grinning innocently at Santana before popping it in her mouth. Nerves settled in her stomach as they both leant in, as they had done many times before, their faces inching closer and closer…

Their lips touched, and it felt different. Like all the fireworks cliché that you saw in the books or movies, something that she didn't usually feel. Not that she normally felt anything when she kissed Brittany- it was easier that way. But this- she shivered slightly against the other girl's lips. This was amazing. She deepened it slightly, before she heard a crunching noise, and _oh yeah, the popcorn_, she remembered. That was the dare. Not to make out with her for four minutes.

She reluctantly pulled away, trying to make it not look so, and returned to her spot in the circle, Brittany doing the same, replaying it in her head, both girls looking flushed. Holy crap that had been-

"No biggie," Brittany broke the silence. "We do it all the time- I'm not a dolphin like Kurt, it's no feelings involved, like when we get bored. It's kind of like tongue therapy. Artie's cool with it." And with that, the game continued, Santana not being able to help feeling slightly crushed at her words. _No biggie. No feelings involved. Oh, and Artie, her boyfriend. _

Not even watching Tina prank-call Mr Schuester to tell her she was pregnant with his child cheered her up. Although that video would hit YouTube. Kurt squeezed her arm, shooting her a sympathetic glance, before running down the street, screaming his love for Coach Sylvester, to everyone else's amusement.

As they all traipsed back inside, Kurt turning a brilliant shade of magenta, she couldn't help but watch Brittany walk inside, chatting with Quinn. Turning around and seeing Santana looking, she smiled at her, half happily and half something else Santana couldn't quite place, but one hundred percent captivating. It was also incredibly frustrating. Cuss Brittany and her stupid mixed signals. How could she go from telling Santana she'd go out with her if she were single, to then making out with her and telling her it was no biggie? She silently huffed. Love was freaking confusing.

Of course none of that stopped Santana from not acting like a bitch to Brittany- maybe more so to the others, but hey, she was who she was. It didn't stop the pair of them to be the last up, giggling and sharing their many inside jokes, making them consequently the last to fall asleep, and when they eventually did so, they were curled into each other's side, Brittany having snuck into Santana's bed.

Even with just under seven hours sleep, it was, funnily enough, the best night's sleep that Santana had gotten all week.

**A/N: Sorry, this sucks so bad. It's more of a filler chapter than anything (a badly written one too ;p) but Monday night dinner next chapter maybe I'll regain my limited writing skills in time to write that? Yes this is short, next one will be longer :D**

**Reviews would be fandabbydosey (in other words, lovely ;)) **


End file.
